The Eagle's Dawn
by Prevoyante
Summary: An unexplained series of murders erupts in the Clans and when two recently apprenticed cats from rival Clans, nothing but enmity existing between them, recieve a prophecy that binds them together, how could one expect the two mutual enemies to fulfill it?
1. Allegiances

**ThunderClan**

**Leader: **Hollowstar-a brown tabby tom with green-amber eyes

**Deputy: **Windbrush-a spotted grey tom with blue eyes

**Medicine Cat: **Herbleaf-a beautiful tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with green eyes

**Apprentice; **Beepaw

**Warriors: **

Fieldsun-a large brown tom greatly resembling a bear

Waspsting-a grey tabby tom with yellow eyes

Rabbitrun-a ginger tabby she-cat with green eyes

Foxtrot-a ginger tabby tom with blue eyes

Seatail-a grey tabby she-cat with dark blue eyes

**Apprentice; **Wolfpaw

Fernwinter-a calico she-cat with green eyes

Autumnwing-a white tom with silver eyes

**Apprentices:**

Beepaw-a grey tabby tom with yellow eyes

Wolfpaw-a black she-cat with yellow eyes

**Queens:**

Milksky-a creamy white she-cat; mother of Rabbitrun's kits Cedarkit, Creamkit and Robinkit

Dawnwing-a golden-white she-cat; mother of Hollowstar's kits Minkkit and Jumpkit

**Elders:**

Juniperberry-a blue-grey she-cat with blue eyes

Jumptail-a dark grey tabby tom with green eyes

**WindClan**

**Leader:**Fallenstar-a bold silver tabby tom with gold-green eyes

**Deputy:** Timberfall-a brown tabby tom with amber eyes

**Medicine Cat: **Goldcloud-a nimble gold tabby tom with green eyes

**Apprentice; **Featherpaw

**Warriors:**

Hiddenheart-a shady black tom with glowing gold eyes

**Apprentice; **Ivypaw

Rosewing-a pale reddish she-cat with dusky blue eyes

Heatherpebble-a brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Fisherpelt-a tom greatly resembling a fisher with blue eyes

Rainflower-a tabby she-cat with amber eyes

**Apprentice; **Fallowpaw

Suncave-a gold tabby tom with elegant green eyes

**Apprentice; **Quillpaw

Windflower-a calico she-cat with green eyes

Shallowcreek-a white tom with mixed eyes

Cougarstep-a large tom resembling a blue-eyed cougar

Shrewvoice-a small grey tom

Spiderfang-a slender black she-cat

**Apprentice; **Breezepaw

Cricketsong-a tortoiseshell she-cat with brown eyes

**Apprentices:**

Featherpaw-a light brown she-cat

Ivypaw-a calico she-cat

Fallowpaw-a black tom

Quillpaw-a grey she-cat with darker grey and brown flecks and green eyes

Breezepaw-a black-and-white tom

**Queens:**

Gingerstream-a ginger-and-white she-cat with green eyes, mother of Shadowheart's kits Otterkit(a ginger tom) and Eaglekit(a brown-black-and-gold she-kit with blazing yellow eyes)

**Elders:**

Holestep-a large brown tom missing an eye

Reedleap-a slender blue she-cat

**ShadowClan**

**Leader: **Quailstar-a pale brown she-cat with blue eyes

**Deputy: **Lonetail-a grey tom

**Medicine Cat: **Merrywood-a light reddish brown she-cat with green eyes

**Apprentice; **Lakeheart-a light silver she-cat

**Warriors: **

Raventooth-a slender black-and-white she-cat

Willowstripe-a dusky grey-brown she-cat

Winterice-a white tom

Leafstripe-a light ginger-brown tabby tom with green eyes

**Apprentice; **Pinepaw

Willowstream-a pale brown-grey she-cat

Thymeleaf-a spotted, light brown tom with green eyes

Lillyleaf-a light spotted ginger-brown she-cat with green eyes

Farrowmink-a light brown tabby tom with light amber eyes

Fishpond- a slender tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes

Hollyreed-a dark brown mottled tom with amber eyes

**Apprentice; **Antpaw

Dovesong-a white long-haired she-cat with green eyes

Moosetail-a tortoiseshell and white tom with green eyes

**Apprentice; **Cloverpaw

**Apprentices:**

Pinepaw-a brown tabby tom

Antpaw-a reddish-ginger she-cat with blue eyes

Cloverpaw-a light ginger she-cat with soft grey eyes

**Queens:**

Ripplewave-a reddish ginger she-cat with a white underbelly and blue eyes (Kits: Dawnkit-a ginger tom with green eyes, Ringkit-a white she-cat with a blue-grey face and black and grey striped paws and tail with white toes and blue eyes)

**RiverClan**

**Leader: **Minnowstar-a light grey-brown she-cat with unusual violet eyes

**Deputy: **Sparrowhawk-a reddish tom

**Medicine Cat: **Gingerfleet-a ginger tabby she-cat with gold eyes

**Apprentice; **Yarrowpelt-a grey tom with blue eyes

**Warriors:**

Hollowstone-a grey tom with yellow eyes

Dapplefire-a mottled brown tom with gold eyes

Petalwinter-a ginger-and-white she-cat with green eyes

**Apprentice; **Cometpaw

**Apprentices:**

Cometpaw-a black tom

**Queens:**

Ivyrose-a ginger-and-white she-cat


	2. Prologue

**Prologue**

His pelt tingled with anticipation and excitement as he moved silently through the RiverClan border, the reeds lightly brushing his pelt as he passed on with ease. His plan was simple: trespass onto the Clan grounds and rake his claws down some innocent RiverClan warrior throat. The only complexity was locating an isolated cat in the Clan, seeing as RiverClan and WindClan seemed to travel in packs of warriors and hunters. Shifting uneasily at the thought of returning without blood on his claws, he stepped across the rocks leading to the RiverClan territory, lifting his head to scent for any nearby warriors. The rot stench of a RiverClan she-cat swept through his nostrils. He wrinkled his nose and watched, undetected from afar as the careless, lone, eager she-warrior moved though the reeds, her glistening silver pelt flowing behind her. He furrowed his brow and grinned evilly, stalking the warrior to the WindClan/RiverClan border. Then, with an annoyed pang, he realized she wasn't alone.

"Glimmerstride. I have been waiting." He heard the voice of the WindClan deputy Rowansoar whisper.

"I couldn't get passed the guard easily." She meowed, her voice cool, loving and slow. "But your kits are fine."

_Ah_, the lurking tom mused, _a queen._

"When they are born, you will have to bring them to me, for I cannot wait six months after at a Gathering to meet my sons, or daughters." Rowansoar smiled and placed his muzzle to hers. The tom cringed at the sight of the two Clan cats sharing their mixed love toward each other.

"I will not make you wait. Should one of our kits _slip_ into the WindClan territory undetected, unnoticed, you will at least have kin."

_Such a shame he will never see them._

The WindClan deputy leaned closer toward his mate. "Glimmerstride, you wouldn't."

"I would, for you." She mewed, placing a paw on his affectionately.

_It sickens me!_

"Fallenstar will ask questions…ones I won't be able to answer. And battle? WindClan has never been on good terms with RiverClan."

"Please, Rowansoar, like you would let that happen! Fallenstar has but one life left then you'll be in command."

_I should check back on him._

"If you say so, Glimmerstride. For now…we must depart. Tomorrow night, then, I will see you?"

"I will be here, right here."

The WindClan deputy licked the queen's cheek once more then turned to pad away, giving a long look back before striding back to his camp. The lurking tom moved from his hideaway, making sure both cats were a safe distance away before he leapt at the queen. She bristled and jumped in alarm. He laughed, padding up to her slowly. "It seems as though you have been unfaithful to your Clan, Glimmerstride."

The young she-cat glanced around, wild-eyed, giving a short gasp of alarm.

"Speechless?"

After a long moment of silence, he nodded, unsheathing his claws. "Who could blame you?"

She had tried to cry for help but the noise that emitted from her was a gurgling sound as the tom dug his claws into her soft throat, blood pouring onto his pelt and the ground. Writhing on the ground, the queen made a weak attempt to call for any nearby Clanmate but blood just spurted onto the tom's face, sending him into a bout of laughter. He dragged his paw down her belly, waiting for her to fall limp under his grasp. When she finally did, he released his hold on her, speaking in a low voice. "May the Dark Forest travel with you and StarClan with your kits. Now, to find me your mate…"


	3. Chapter One

**Chapter One:**

Eaglekit's ears pricked up as she heard her brother's name called out in the throng of WindClan cats. Pride swelled in her white chest as she held her breath and lifted her head in the wind, though the pride was suddenly replaced with envy and sorrow as she witnessed her brother's apprenticeship. She had had to wait on hers since Fallenstar could not come to the decision of who her mentor should be between Fisherpelt and Heatherpebble and had decided to put them to a test of skill the following day. With a heavy sigh, Eaglekit padded up to her brother, eyes dull, and heart sunken but head high and seemingly cheery. The ginger-brown tom gazed in her eyes, his on full of pride and joy but his voice forcefully solemn and grave as he spoke. "I'm sorry, Eaglekit. Truly, I am." He flicked his tail to her shoulder and pressed his nose in her cheek. "But tomorrow, just think, you'll be settled down next to the rest of us, warm in the apprentices' den." He sounded only half optimistic.

"Otterpaw?" Eaglekit heard his new mentor Spiderfang yowl from across the clearing where cats were now departing to be along with their business.

With a last pitiful glance, her brother pawed away. "I'm sorry." He muttered before bounding off to fall into step with his young mentor. "Wait up!" He howled at Fallowpaw, his closest friend who was now sprinting away into the forest area. The tall and slender tom flicked his tail in response before slowing to a halt to let his comrade stand at his shoulder. Fury and sadness stabbed at Eaglekit's heart as she saw Otterkit-Otter_paw_, rather-headed out on his first patrol while she sat in the center of the camp, alone and with no one to turn to. It felt awkward, she decided, to feel alone since she had always had Otterpaw there beside her to comfort her and make her feel appreciated. She wished she could call out to him and wail on his shoulder like the kit she was but instead all she could do was stand there, waiting for his return.

Lashing her tail in anger over her own pity, Eaglekit skulked over to her mother, her shoulders hunched and head low, staring out at the Clan and how they all had responsibility. All of the apprentices, all of the warriors, the deputy, the medicine cat…they all did and she didn't. She scrunched her nose up tight, screwing up her eyesight. _I don't need pity_! She scolded herself, shuffling her paws. _I need work_. Lifting herself up after some time, Eaglekit stalked over to the medicine cats' den where Goldcloud and Featherpaw sat, sorting leaves of herbs in the sunlight that seeped into the den, but only barely enough to cover a shoulder from each. She craned her neck to see Goldcloud's badly scarred face concentrating on his work. Daintily, she padded up to him. "Do either of you need help?" She mewled.

The gold tom glanced up for a second, barely catching sight of her before returning to the herbs. "No, we are okay here." Muttered Goldcloud lazily.

"All right…" She replied solemnly, though not showing the emotion, before dragging herself out of the den and over to Fallenstar. "Fallenstar?" She mewed, grasping the bold leader's attention.

"Yes?" The tom gazed down, his gold-green eyes glinting in the green-leaf sun.

"I was only wondering if…if…"

"If there was anything needed to be done around the camp?" He answered for her, his whiskers twitching in amusement. He she nodded, both frightened and relieved, he continued, his words rolling off his tongue like river water. "WindClan is well-stocked with herbs and prey and requires no apprentice duty at the current time."

Her shoulders dropped and she hung her head. "And the elders?"

"Perfectly well cared for. Ivypaw took care of that this morning before Otterpaw's ceremony. My apologies."

"It's fine." Muttered Eaglekit, letting her ears fall back. There were enough patrols to be on but not enough in-Clan tasks it seemed, unlike ThunderClan, who, she had heard, did tasks and patrols from dawn till dusk.

"But," she heard Fallenstar speak again abruptly, "if you long to get your paws on out-of-camp land, then, because it is my own doing to have caused your apprenticeship delayed, I will allow you to walk WindClan's borders with Hiddenheart."

Eaglekit felt her heart run in her throat but immediately slide into her stomach as she thought of her side-by-side the shady, barely-speaking tom Hiddenheart. She pondered Fallenstar's proposal for a heartbeat. "I'd be honored, Fallenstar."

"Great." He meowed, turning toward his den. "Just be back before sundown."

"Aren't you…going to tell him?" She called, eyes widening.

"Pardon?"

She shook her head. "Nothing." As much as she didn't want to, as much as she feared it, she had to speak to Hiddenheart or otherwise stay kept in the camp. Slowly and cautiously, she stalked over to the tom, her deceased father's eldest brother. There were rumors, she had heard, that Hiddenheart was born from evil, seeing as all of his littermates died of mysterious causes and every one of his littermates and both his parents were white coated. He didn't seem hostile, but he didn't seem friendly and welcoming either. Since she was born, Eaglekit had only heard Hiddenheart speak to Gingerstream, her mother, and Ivypaw, his apprentice. His voice was dark and his eyes were cold and glaring. It frightened Eaglekit to stand in his presence. "Pardon me, Hidenheart?" She mewed, approaching the black tom, a questioning look on his stern face.

"Yes, Eaglekit?" He replied, swishing his tail around his paws.

"You wouldn't mind…" She started, suddenly realizing she had no idea how to talk to the broad-shouldered tom. "You wouldn't mind…maybe taking me out of the camp, out along the borders…would you?"

Gold eyes blazing, Hiddenheart stood, dipping his head to her. "Come along, then." He meowed, his voice emotionless.

Lifting her tail, pleased, Eaglekit followed the slender tom out of the camp, a gleeful bounce to her step. "Thank you, Hiddenheart."

"My pleasure. You deserve it, being you're still here, recognized as a kit hen your brother, your closest friend is out there, possibly fighting a whole Shadow Clan patrol, or not, but still more excitement than what you see here. I know, I felt the same when my denmate, born just one week before me, left to be an apprentice, and soon a warriror, leaving me in the dust when he decided to become Heatherpebble's mate. I was angry but…two days later he and my brother, my closest brother Hollowheart, were killed in battle. I watched as he was crushed under rocks and trees and Hollowheart's dead body was swept down the river before I could do anything. But I do believe that is beside the point."

"Only slightly." Eaglekit whimpered, slightly daunted by the tale. She flicked her tail upward toward the sky and followed Hiddenheart to the very edge of the WindClan and ThunderClan border, which was a very short walk from the camp. The air tasted odd near the ThunderClan border. It was…much sweeter than WindClan scent but unpleasant to the young WincClan kit nonetheless. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw her escort walking slowly up to the border and suddenly, she realized she'd sped ahead of him a while past. She waited for him to come to her side and when he did, she stood up and turned toward the WindClan camp again. Hiddenheart kept walking. "Hiddenheart, where are you going?"

"The usual place." He answered bluntly, not taking a second look back.

Eaglekit's ears pricked up. "Pardon?" She squeaked. "That's forbidden area." It was true. Neither ThunderClan nor WindClan could settle the dispute over the land that was empty forest land and so they had come to the agreement that no WindClan and no ThunderClan cat could step paw on the land. They had kept to that agreement for fifty years, since near the end of Firestar's reign. "You can't enter!"

"Don't get you fur fluffed up and come with me." He meowed curtly, flicking his tail motioning for her to come.

Obediently, she ran over to him, padding at his side. She walked silently with him as he wound his way through tall, dead trees, leading her to a large stone. "What are we doing, Hiddenheart?" She asked after staring at the stone for some time.

"Exploring WindClan."

"But this isn't WindClan! It's more _Thunder_Clan!"

"It's neither…WindClan nor ThunderClan, really. But…I thought you should know about this place. It's easy to get to and it is an excellent spot for thought." He paused. "Sure, it may be trespassing, but if no one is allowed to step on the land, how will they know one is trespassing?"

"I see your point but-" Eaglekit fell silent, a whiff of carrion stench catching her nose. Wrinkling her nose, she faced its direction. "Do you scent that?" She meowed.

"No, what?" Hiddenheart craned his neck.

"Rotting flesh."

"It's probably just a dead animal. But I don't smell anything."

With a grunt, Eaglekit shoved her way toward the scent and letting out a shrill cry at the sight she was greeted by. She heard Hiddenheart pad up to her. "Love of StarClan!"


End file.
